The present invention relates to an improved single cassette answering machine, and is more particularly directed to an answering machine supporting mailbox, dual phone line, and room monitoring operations wherein tape tracks are independently recorded upon in a single direction.
Conventional answering machines accept incoming phone calls over a single phone and allow a caller to leave a message on a recording tape. Such systems may include either one or two cassette tapes. Where two cassette tapes are employed, one tape is used for playing an announcement message, while the other accepts recordings of the incoming phone cabs. The use of dual cassette tapes increases the cost and complexity of the system. Single tape mechanisms first play the announcement message located at a predetermined location on the tape and then must fast forward to a location on the tape at an end of the last recorded incoming message. The fast forwarding operation delays recording the incoming message and forces the caller to wait until a ready indicator is generated.
Conventional answering machine systems do not provide a method for an incoming caller to segregate messages. All incoming messages are recorded in sequence and are generally erased as a whole after playback of the messages. This operation does not permit a user to playback specific types of calls which are of distinct significance, for example, business calls, as opposed to general personal calls. Thus, the user must filter through all the calls in order to extract the recorded business calls.
Answering machines typically employ standard cassette drive mechanisms which record on a first side of a tape when the tape is inserted in a first orientation, and on a second side of the tape when the tape is installed in a reverse orientation from that of the first orientation. The first and second sides are, thus, recorded in opposing directions. This type of operation is conventional and is used in most commercial tape recorders. Thus, a tape removed from the typical answering machine may be replayed on any commercial tape recorder. This permits the security of the information on the tape to be easily breached
Message recording systems also exist which implement "voice mail" operations, wherein a caller enters a touch tone code to store a message directed to a particular individual assigned to a "mailbox" where the message is stored. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,126. The messages are stored in either a digital memory or on a tape system. The caller is prompted to enter a code associated with a particular mailbox after which the system awaits the code's entry before proceeding. Entry of the code requires that the caller be using a touch tone phone to generate the requisite tones. Therefore, the caller must enter a recognized code in order to store his or her message. Operation of such a system is sometimes difficult or impossible where a user is unfamiliar with the technology involved or a touch tone phone is unavailable. Furthermore, such systems restrict the length of record messages requiring a caller to call back to record additional information.